Automatic boiler-feed.



PATENTED APR. 16, 1907.

` Mz L. PHIPPS. AUTOMATIC BOILER FEED. 'APPLIOATGN FILED SEPTJS, 1906.

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. boilers; and it consists in the novel features of `UNITE STATES PAINT OFFIQF.

MOSES LETOHER PHIPPS, OF GALAX, VIRGINIA, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF TO TROY COX AND Z. F. WARD, OF GALAX, VIRGINIA.

AUTOMATIC BOlLER-FEED.

No. 850,314. Specicationof Letters Patent.

Application filed September 13, 1906. Serial No. 334,491.

ldatented April 16, 1 907.

also pivoted upon the upright or support 7, as shown at 10. The pipes 2 3 are adapted to serve as thermostats and to actuate devices Galax, in the county of Grayson and State of which control a valve 11 of any suitable form Virginia, have invented certain new and useand construction arranged in a steam-pipe ful Improvements in Automatic Boiler-Feeds g j 12, leading from the stean -dome of the boiler and I do declare the following to be a full, i to a steam-pump (not shown) which is suitclear, and. exact description of the invention, I ably connected to the boiler 1 to supply the To (tl who/1t it 'nul/y concern:

Be it known that I, Moses LETCHER PHrrPs, a cltizenof the United States, residing at such as will enable others skilled in the art to same with water. The devices which operwhich it appertains to make and use the same. ate and control the valve 1.1 comprise a ro- This invention relates to improvements in tary or oscillatory disk 13, pivoted at 14 devices for automatically feeding upon the side of the boiler and having ratchetteeth 15 around a portion of its periphery and two radially-projecting arms 16 17. The arm or projection 17 is adapted to engage and actuate the stem 18 of the valve 11, said stem being slidably mounted in the valvecasing and projecting through the same, as clearly shown in the drawings. The arm 16 projects into a loop 19, formed upon the lower end of a rod or link 20, which has its upper end pivoted upon the long arm of the lever 9. Ooacting with the ratchet-teeth 15 is a pawl 21, formed upon a lever 22, pivoted at 23 upon the side ofthe boiler. A spring 24 upon steamconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to improve and simplify the construction and operation of devices of this character, and thereby render the same more reliable and efficient.

The above and other objects, which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, are accomplished by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steamboiler, showing the application of the invention thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the device, showing the position its parts assume when the water in the boiler drops below the low-water mark. Fig. 3 is a detail vertical transverse section taken on the plane indicated bythe line 3 3 in Fig. 1, and Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the lower ends of two links or rods which actuate `the valve-controlling devices.

The steam-boiler 1 may be of any form and construction and its high and low water level are indicated, respectively, by the dotted lines a a and l) b in Fig. 1. Opening into the boiler adjacent to said lines or marks are upwardly-projecting pipes 2 3, which are preferably made of copper, so that they will expand to a considerable degree when the level of the water in the boiler drops below their open lower ends and permits the steam to enter them. The upper end of the pipe 2 is closed by a plug 4, having a bifurcated portion in which is pivoted a lever 5. The latter is pivoted at 6 upon an upright 7, secured upon the boiler adjacent to the pipes 2 3. The upper end of the pipe 3 is similarly closed by a plug 8, which has a lever 9 pivoted in its bifurcated upper end, said lever being the same upwardly to hold the pawl 21 normally in engagement with the ratchet-teeth to prevent rotation of the disk 13 in one direction. The outer end of the lever 22 is engaged by the forked lower endv25 of a rod or link 26, which latter has its upper end pivoted upon the long arm of the lever 5.

The operation of the invention is as follows: When the water in the boiler drops below the lower open end of the pipe 2, the

same and elevate the lever 5 and its forked vate the lever 22 and move the pawl 21 into engagementwith the segmental ratchet 16. When the level of the Water drops below the lower water-line b b, steam will enter the ipe 3, expand the same, and elevate the iever 9 and its rod or link 20. The loop on the lower end of the latter elevates the arm 16 of the disk 13, and hence causes the projection or arm 17 to push the valve-stem 18 inwardly to open the valve 11, as shown in Fig, 2. When the valve is thus open, the steam passes from the boiler to the feedpump, which supplies the water to the boiler. As the boiler is filled the level of the water steam entering the latter will expand thel rod 26. This permits the spring 24 to ele-v the pivot 23 engages the lever 2 and forces roo tained in its open position. Vhen the level of the water rises above the line a a, steam is cut off from the pipe 2, so that the latter contracts and lowers its rod 5 and lever 26. As the forked end of the rod 26 is lowered the rod 5 is also lowered, thereby disengaging the pawl 21 from the ratchet or segment 15. When the latter is thus disen aged, it will return to its normal position, (sown in Fig. 1,) and the valve 11 will close and cut off the supply of steam to the feed-pump, and hence stop the feeding of water to the boiler. From the foregoing it 'will be observed that this device is entirely automatic in its operation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minorv details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention` as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a steam-boiler and means for controlling the feed of water thereto, of thermostatic bodies in communication with the boiler adjacent to its high and low water marks, a device actuated by one 'of said thermostatic bodies for operating said water-feeding means to supply water to the boiler, means for holding said device in its operative position, and means actuated by the other of said thermostatic bodies for actuating said holding means to release said device.

2. The combination of a steam-boiler and means for controlling the feed of water thereto, of thermostatic bodies in communication withlthe boiler adjacent to its high and low water marks, an oscillatory element for actuating said water-feeding means, operating means between said element and one of said thermostatic bodies, means for holding said element in its operative position, and operating connections between said holding means and the other of said thermostatic bodies for releasing said element.

3. The combination of a steam-boiler and means for controlling the feed of water thereto, of thermostatic bodies in communication with the boiler adjacent to its high and low water marks, an oscillatory element for actuating said having a segmental ratchet portion and a projecting arm, a lever actuated by one of said thermostatic bodies, a rod connected to saidv lever and having a loop to receive said arm, a spring-actuated lever having a pawl to coact with the said segmental ratchet, a lever actuated by the other of said thermostatic bodies, and a rod connected to the last-mentioned lever and having a forked portion to engage said pawl-carrying lever.

4. The combination withv a steam-boiler, a steam-pipe leading therefrom to a feedwater pump, and a valve in said steam-pipe, of thermostatic tubes in communication with said boiler adjacent to its high and low water marks, an oscillatory element for opening said valve actuated by one of said thermostatic tubes, means for holding said element .against movement to retain the valve in its open position, and means actuated by the other of said thermostatic tubes 4for releasing said holding means.

5. The combination with a steam-boiler, a steam-pipe leading therefrom to a feedwater pump, and a valve in said steam-pipe, of thermostatic tubes in communication with said boiler adjacent to its high and low water marks, an oscillatory, valve-actuating element having a projecting arm and ratchetteeth, a lever actuated by one of said thermostatic tubes, a rod connected to said lever and having a loop to receive said arm, a spring-actuated lever having a pawl to enage the ratchet-teeth on said element, a lever actuated by the other of said thermostatic tubes, and a rod connected to said lever and having a forked portion to engage said pawl-carrying lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MOSES LETCHER PHIPPS.'

Witnesses:

J. P. COX, W. E. BEAMER.

water-feeding means, said element v IOO 

